International. Following a meeting of the BCF (British Coatings Federation) Vehicle Finishing Committee, the BCF confirmed that it will still be illegal to sell solvent-based basecoats for accident repair in a post-Brexit Britain.
Non-compliance has increased significantly since the Brexit vote in 2016, with rumours that EU legislation (the VOC Paint Products Directive) will no longer apply once the UK leaves the EU.
The BCF said it plans to raise this with Defra Secretary of State Michael Gove while also drafting similar letters to 400 distributors, reminding them that they will still have to comply with VOC regulations, even after Britain has officially left the EU.
The BCF has been proactive in raising awareness of the continuing and growing sales of solvent-based basecoats, and up to 30 per cent of basecoat sales in the UK are now solvent-based, according to the BCF.
Distributors selling solvent-based basecoats are not only breaking the law, but are also harming the environment and increasing VOC emissions, the BCF noted.
BCF Chief Executive Tom Bowtell said 25 percent of the 100 dealers he visited were selling solvent-based basecoats for use in general auto repair. He said this is a direct contravention of the UK's VOC Paint Product Regulations.
"The BCF will continue to fight to try to regain a level playing field for BCF members who invested in water-based coat-based coatings, and will also help the UK government achieve its VOC emissions targets," Bowtell added.
